Mental health professionals must be trained to recognize and provide appropriate care for posttraumatic and/or stress-related disorders among migrants.

No abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate barriers to appropriate mental health care in a sample of Bolivian migrants living in São Paulo and to examine the association between barriers of care and the presence of symptoms of non-psychotic psychiatric disorders in this population. Considering that treatment usually reduces symptoms, it could be hypothesized that individuals reporting more barriers to care also will report more symptoms. The sample comprised 104 individuals born in Bolivia, with Bolivian nationality and living in São Paulo for at least 30 days prior to enrolling in the study, between 18 and 80 years of age and able to read and write in Spanish or Portuguese. The symptoms of mental disorders were assessed using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) and barriers to appropriate mental health care were evaluated using the Barriers to Assessing Care Evaluation (BACE). A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the predictive effect of the BACE total score (independent variable) in the SRQ-20 score (dependent variable), including in the model, and the variables that were significantly correlated with the BACE total score or SRQ-20. Our results indicate that more than a half of the sample of Bolivian migrants living in Sao Paulo, Brazil, especially females, presented significant non-psychotic psychopathology. Individuals reporting more barriers to care, especially instrumental and attitudinal barriers, also have a higher risk of psychiatric symptoms, independently of sex, age and family income. Our results suggest that actions to increase availability of mental health services, especially culturally sensitive services, could reduce barriers to care and improve mental health among migrants.

same span prompted interruption of the task. Reliability was estimated by the split-half method, using the first trials from each span to compose the first half and the second trials to compose the second half. Reliable change indexes (RCIs) were calculated for all test measures. Table 1 shows descriptive data, internal consistency, and reliable change coefficients for each task. Reliability was high for Digit Span forward, low for Digit Span backward, and moderate for the Corsi Block-Tapping task. The RCI for the tasks can be used to track significant changes in longitudinal assessment, although the high variability and moderate reliability of the tasks are likely to hinder assessment of mild or slight changes.

Na literatura, a experiência dos migrantes tem sido repetidamente identificada como associada a uma maior vulnerabilidade aos problemas de saúde mental (Foster et al., 2001). Embora não haja evidência epidemiológica definitiva a este respeito, geralmente se admite que a experiência migratória está associada a múltiplos estressores, o que pode prejudicar a saúde mental dos imigrantes (Takeushi et al., 2007). Essas experiências estressantes podem colocar os imigrantes em risco de problemas de saúde mental, como distúrbios depressivos, ansiedade, transtorno de estresse pós-traumático (TEPT) e a chamada síndrome de estresse múltiplo crônico e múltiplo (síndrome de Ulises), um termo usado por alguns autores para descreva um conjunto de sintomas depressivos, somáticos e de ansiedade derivados da exposição a múltiplos estressores relacionados à experiência migratória (Achotegui, 2000). O objetivo deste estudo foi revisar a literatura disponível sobre exposição a fatores de estresse e fatores associados à vulnerabilidade e resiliência ao estresse das populações imigrantes, bem como descrever a experiência com o caso dos imigrantes bolivianos residentes em São Paulo.